Nursing Skills

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I am an LPN student in mylast quarter, finishing in December. I have been worried if I really had the skills I need, given the hurried training we have gotten.:chair: Well, Thursday night, I got my answer. My son, age 8, came in to my room at 12 am and got in bed, c/o stomach pain, and feeling feverish. I rubbed his back and tummy for a few minutes, hoping for bad gas. He dozed off, and so did I, to be woken again a few minutes later with more pain and I feel the heat off him then. Suddenly he is up and heading for the bathroom, but doesn't make it. I follow, clean the mess, and take his temp, 101.2. Give Ibuprofen, sit up for 30 minutes, take it again, coming down, 100.4, give him hugs and put him back in bed, and go back to mine. 4 am, he is back. I am groggy, but feel his temp is coming back. Get up, take temp, 102.3. more Ibuprofen, cool rag to head, wait 30 min., temp is coming back down. He says he feel better, but cold, so I cover him and lie back down till time to get up (6 a.m.). As I get up he passes me in the hall, headed for another vomiting spree. I am thinking ear infection, common with him, fever and vomiting main symptoms, so I start assessing him after he finishes in the bathroom. No sore throat, no ear pain, no cough.........hmm......take his pulse, very high, 128. Resps 36 and shallow. I ask him if his tummy still hurts, and he says yes, so I percuss gently....lots of hollow sounds, and I start palpating, and he is tender generally not over stomach, but everywhere else, mostly umbilical and right lower quadrant pain. I immediately hunt up my stethoscope and auscultate, and lo and behold, no bowel sounds in the lower quads. Hubby says I am making something out of nothing, and I continue to monitor, with no change, and I decide that I REALLY think it is appendicitis. Hubby is upset that we will have to go to ER for what he thinks is nothing, seeing as we have no insurance, but I refuse to back down, and off the boy and I go. Long story short, his wbc were 27000, he was shipped to another hospital and had a successful appendectomy soon after. Hubby is apologetic, and I feel relieved and a bit vindicated, though I was kind of hoping they would tell me that it was a stomach virus or bad gas, to take him home. I am a little less afraid of my lack of skills now as far as assessment goes, though I know being right once does not carry over, lol. I am happy to report I was in nurse mode until I had to turn away from him and leave him to the OR staff. That's when Mommy took over, and the tears started. Any way, guess I just wanted to say never dismiss your instincts, every assessment is a learning experience.:nurse: :D

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Specializes in L&D.

Bravo!!! I think you did great!!!

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Good job! Not only does this show you that your assessment skills were good, but also that you were able to keep your head in the most stressful of situations. It is great that you were able to be a "nurse" when the situation called for it and a "mommy" when that was needed as well.

Limik

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Specializes in Med-surg > LTC > HH >.

:) Hi, great job and glad to hear everything worked out well. How has your sons recovery period been. I know my nephew ( 9 at the time), had a few curse words to say about it. Good for you and keep up the good work.:balloons:

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Specializes in geriatrics.
:) Hi, great job and glad to hear everything worked out well. How has your sons recovery period been. I know my nephew ( 9 at the time), had a few curse words to say about it. Good for you and keep up the good work.:balloons:
He was a little slow to wake up...but after getting to his room he was fine, except for the diarrhea. He has had remarkably little pain, and only one dose of tylenol with codiene right after we came home from the hospital the following morning. He is eating fine, good color, peeing great, no complaints except for the diarrhea, surgery was Friday night at 8:30 p.m., discharged at 9:00 the following a.m., today is Monday, and he is moving around like a normal 8 year old, not even stiff. I am jealous! When I had my appendectomy surgery at 30, I walked around like thw hunchback for two weeks! :rotfl:
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Wooohoooooooo!! What a great and encouraging story!! You're going to be an awesome nurse!

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

What a great story! Glad to hear your son is doing well, and thanks for sharing! :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.

You did a great job! :)

Hope your son is feeling better.

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Hope your son is doing well. And I think you did great assessing him!

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Specializes in Adult Med-Surg, Rehab, and Ambulatory Care.

Kudos to you, Mom/Nurse. :)

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Specializes in School, Camp, Hospice, Critical Care.
My son, age 8, came in to my room at 12 am and got in bed, c/o stomach pain, and feeling feverish . . . Long story short, his wbc were 27000, he was shipped to another hospital and had a successful appendectomy soon after.

Sounds like you made a great call!

I'll be caring for a 7yo boy post-appy tomorrow (surgery happening as we speak!) Any hints? What was the cause of your son's diarrhea (?reaction to antibiotics)?

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I am an LPN student in mylast quarter, finishing in December. I have been worried if I really had the skills I need, given the hurried training we have gotten.:chair: Well, Thursday night, I got my answer. My son, age 8, came in to my room at 12 am and got in bed, c/o stomach pain, and feeling feverish. I rubbed his back and tummy for a few minutes, hoping for bad gas. He dozed off, and so did I, to be woken again a few minutes later with more pain and I feel the heat off him then. Suddenly he is up and heading for the bathroom, but doesn't make it. I follow, clean the mess, and take his temp, 101.2. Give Ibuprofen, sit up for 30 minutes, take it again, coming down, 100.4, give him hugs and put him back in bed, and go back to mine. 4 am, he is back. I am groggy, but feel his temp is coming back. Get up, take temp, 102.3. more Ibuprofen, cool rag to head, wait 30 min., temp is coming back down. He says he feel better, but cold, so I cover him and lie back down till time to get up (6 a.m.). As I get up he passes me in the hall, headed for another vomiting spree. I am thinking ear infection, common with him, fever and vomiting main symptoms, so I start assessing him after he finishes in the bathroom. No sore throat, no ear pain, no cough.........hmm......take his pulse, very high, 128. Resps 36 and shallow. I ask him if his tummy still hurts, and he says yes, so I percuss gently....lots of hollow sounds, and I start palpating, and he is tender generally not over stomach, but everywhere else, mostly umbilical and right lower quadrant pain. I immediately hunt up my stethoscope and auscultate, and lo and behold, no bowel sounds in the lower quads. Hubby says I am making something out of nothing, and I continue to monitor, with no change, and I decide that I REALLY think it is appendicitis. Hubby is upset that we will have to go to ER for what he thinks is nothing, seeing as we have no insurance, but I refuse to back down, and off the boy and I go. Long story short, his wbc were 27000, he was shipped to another hospital and had a successful appendectomy soon after. Hubby is apologetic, and I feel relieved and a bit vindicated, though I was kind of hoping they would tell me that it was a stomach virus or bad gas, to take him home. I am a little less afraid of my lack of skills now as far as assessment goes, though I know being right once does not carry over, lol. I am happy to report I was in nurse mode until I had to turn away from him and leave him to the OR staff. That's when Mommy took over, and the tears started. Any way, guess I just wanted to say never dismiss your instincts, every assessment is a learning experience.:nurse: :D

WOW! That's awesome! :balloons: I bet it was really amazing to bring it all together in a real life situation. There should be no doubt that you know your stuff now. Can't wait until I get where you are. Thanks for the story!

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